Category Archives: Mets Thoughts

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If you’re a Mets fan, and the assumption is you are, then you have to be grateful to Miami, because as stagnant as Wilpon’s team has been, the Marlins simply don’t care. Derek Jeter, one of baseball’s greatest frauds, is the face for the Marlins’ latest ownership group bent on stripping whatever competitiveness is left of the franchise.

The Marlins, reeling after the death of ace Jose Fernandez, were realistically a pitcher or two of being a contender for a wild card. Two starters could have made it a possibility.

Well, after trading Dee Gordon to Seattle, and Giancarlo Stanton the Yankees for a song, and then Marcell Ozuna to the Cardinals for a whistle, the Marlins can be regarded possibly as worse than the Mets.

That would be assured if Jeter is successful in trading outfielder Christian Yelich, catcher J.T. Realmuto and infielder Martin Prado. Compounding matters for the Mets is the contenders to land these players are the Nationals, Braves and Phillies.

Reportedly, Jeter told MLB in the screening process he had no intention of stripping the Marlins. Whether he did or not is open for debate, but his actions speak otherwise.

The Marlins’ ownership groups have always been a mess, and it goes before Jeter. Have you forgotten the Marlins gutted their franchise after winning the World Series in 1997 and 2003?

This time Jeter didn’t even wait until a parade. He has scuttled the Marlins. So, if you think things are bad with the Mets, imagine being a Marlins fan.

Congratulations to those who took the under of four days as the time it would take for me to rip Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson for spending $110 million for Yoenis Cespedes.

However, it’s not something new sparked by recent talk of the Mets being in financial distress or only have $10 million left to spend for next year.

CESPEDES: Think Mets regret him now? (AP)

That they only have that much remaining in their budget stems from several factors, beginning with owner Fred Wilpon still reeling financially from the Ponzi scandal. It also includes the Wilpon’s reported reluctance to spend, or should I say, history of spending foolishly.

For all the talk about Alderson being such a smart general manager, there were so many reasons why Cespedes was such a bad signing.

First, with the Mets under such financial stress, and with so many future monetary obligations and gaping holes, $110 million was too much to spend on one player, especially if that player wasn’t going to put them over the top, something I wrote after the 2015 World Series.

Secondly, there is the nagging question: If this guy is so good, why would three previous teams trade him? If you’re considered to be a centerpiece player, teams would want to keep you.

There is also the matter of Cespedes’ injury history, his reputation of hustling only when the matter suits him, and his diva tendencies.

Readers of this site know I’ve never been a fan of Cespedes for the above reasons with the money being the ultimate factor. The Mets have too many holes to fill, and $29 million over the next two years and $29.5 million in three years would have gone a long way to fill them.

For somebody supposedly as smart as Alderson, one would have thought he would have figured that out. So, if you’re out there on Opening Day and wonder why the Mets’ roster looks like it does today, just look out to left field.

Here we are, two days into the new year and I’ve already broken one resolution. It was the one about eating junk food, not about criticizing the Mets.

There’s plenty of time left for that, but for now let’s take a look at the top three things I’d like to see happen with the Mets this year, not including winning the World Series.

WRIGHT: Want to see that swing again. (AP)

I’m not even holding out for a winning season, or for them to even be competitive. The following are five individual things or events I am rooting for to happen to the Mets this season:

The Captain: The odds are getting longer and longer, but I sure would like to see David Wright complete a successful comeback following rotator cuff surgery. Maybe not 2006 revisited, but to play again without pain and make the throw from third to first as if it was effortless.

Those arms: I’m not thinking about any of them winning a Cy Young Award. Or winning 20 games. Or even each starting 34 games. What I want to see is just one time this summer the rotation of Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler make all their starts in a row. I don’t even care if all five lose their starts. I just want them to make them.

Stay healthy: There will be some injuries, of course, but let’s have nothing like those that shelved Michael Conforto, Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes. Injuries have long been used as the explanation for the losing. I just want Mickey Calloway to not have to write out 125 different lineups this summer. No Mets manager has had something like that since, well, who knows when? Maybe Davey Johnson in 1986.

Solve Murph: Daniel Murphy has had his way since the Mets cast him aside. Murphy left as a free agent, but make no mistake he was pushed away much like Jose Reyes when he left as a free agent. Murphy has also owned the Mets since signing with the Nationals. In the 38 games Murphy has played against the Mets he has 54 hits, of which nine are homers adding up to 35 RBI and a .386 batting average and a .435 on-base percentage and a staggering 1.135 OPS.

Spend some money: Wouldn’t it be nice for ownership to call GM Sandy Alderson and demand he spend some money and bring some talent to Flushing.

I always wait until the last minute before submitting my Hall of Fame ballot. I like to take my time to study the names, consider the numbers and strain to remember games in which I saw them play. There’s just so much to consider.

Not that any one play, or game, or even season matters. It’s about careers, and to my way of thinking, dominant and clean careers. I have no problem with “compilers,’’ players who amassed their numbers because of lengthy careers. After all, players such as Don Sutton and Carl Yastrzemski had to be pretty good to win 300 games or get 3,000 hits.

CHIPPER: He got my vote. (Braves)

I do have a problem with those accused of using steroids and didn’t need Joe Morgan’s email to convince me. The essence of sports is for the viewers and opposing players to believe what they are watching and whom they are competing against is true.

That’s not possible when players cheat.

So, if a player fails a drug test, is named on the Mitchell Report, or is accused on the record by a player, coach or manager, I look at that as confirmation of steroid usage. It’s not exactly an admission, but it will have to be enough for me to vote no.

My choices are:

Chipper Jones: More than simply a Met killer, he was an eight-time All-Star and a cornerstone on all those Braves teams that reached the playoffs year after year after year. He had 468 career homers, third behind Hall of Fame switch-hitters Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray.

Jim Thome: What’s not to like about his 612 homers, .402 on-base percentage and .554 slugging percentage, especially when it is done cleanly? He’s a no-brainer to me.

Vladimir Guerrero: I didn’t vote for Guerrero, but only because I voted forLee Smith, who was in the final year of his eligibility. My thinking was Guerrero would have nine more years on the ballot to make it. But, he was named on 71.7 percent of the ballots, and I think he’ll make it this season.

Mike Mussina: I covered Mussina both with the Orioles and the Yankees, and always regarded him as a money pitcher. He pitched for 18 seasons and won at least 15 games in 11 of them. Mussina won 270 games and could have won 300 if he played another two or three seasons. He had plenty of gas left in his tank as he won 20 games for the only time in his career and pitched 200 innings in the final year of his career. He also had a 1.19 career WHIP and a 3.58 strikeouts-to-walks ratio.

Trevor Hoffman: I’m of the belief relievers matter and they all don’t have to be as good as Mariano Rivera. I firmly believe it Hoffman were on the Yankees instead of Rivera they would have still won those World Series.

Edgar Martinez: Being a DH shouldn’t disqualify a player from consideration. It’s a valid baseball position and shouldn’t devalue a player’s candidacy. He has a career slash line of .310/.410/.510, one of only 14 players in history to do so, and nine of them are in the Hall of Fame.

Fred McGriff: If he gets in, it will likely be from the Veterans Committee. With 493 homers – seven shy from what used to be an automatic ticket – he should be a shoo-in. There’s never been a hint of impropriety. He’s a testament to doing it the right way.

Omar Vizquel:Defense is also a part of the game, but often overlooked by the new age stats. But, if Ozzie Smithis a Hall of Famer, then so is Vizquel, an 11-time Gold Glove Award winner. Vizquel was far from an easy out with 2,877 career hits and a .272 batting average with a .336 on-base percentage.

Because the Mets are willing to trade Juan Lagares – despite the health concerns with Michael Conforto and Yoenis Cespedes – further underscores the dysfunction of the Wilpon ownership and their lieutenant GM Sandy Alderson.

LAGARES: Another dysfunctional move. (Getty)

That the Mets signed Lagares to a five-year, $23.5-million contract in the first place based purely on potential was a reasonable idea gone bad because they never gave him a chance play fulltime and develop his stroke and plate presence.

Alderson gave him that contract, and yet didn’t let him play. When Lagares eventually played injuries forced him out of the lineup. Now, with Lagares presumably healthy, they are willing, perhaps even eager, to trade him to free up payroll despite their outfield holes.

In the Mets’ dream world, they would like to deal Lagares’ $6-million 2018 contract and spend the savings on Jay Bruce, who’ll they’ll also play at first base because they don’t have faith in Dominic Smith.

Then, because their farm system is barren, they can deal Smith. Basically, it’s paying your VISA bill with a cash advance from American Express.

Reportedly, Alderson will have only $10 million to transform this team that finished 22 games below .500 into a contender. And, don’t forget this is a team with holes at first, second and third, the outfield, and in the rotation.

Oh, and they’ll need another reliever if they deal AJ Ramos’ $9-million contract.

And, you guys wonder why I am negative about Alderson and this team at times?